


Pullus quercetum

by orphan_account



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dadza, Friendship, I'm Bad At Tagging, Light Angst, Minor Character Death, No Smut, No Spoilers, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Schlatt is a decent person, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, Toby Smith | Tubbo Has a Bad Time, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, fundy is a fox
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:16:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28772955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A fantasy AU where Phil, Technoblade, Wilbur and Tommy are a family of adventurers, coming back from a long journey, when they meet a faun named Tubbo, who finds the group intriguing and secretly follows them back to their home in the village, past the dark oak forest.What happens after Tubbo gets found by the group and tries to get back to the safety of the forest?
Comments: 10
Kudos: 100





	1. The guardian of the forest

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing a story!  
> I haven't really caught very many fantasy AU stories of the Sleepy Bois Inc+ Tubbo, so I decided that since I have the time, and at least what I think is a good idea, why not try writing some myself.  
> This is all platonic friendships and family dynamics.  
> There is going to be some angst, but also a lot of happy family/sibling situations, to balance it out.  
> Helpful criticism is always welcomed and I hope you enjoy reading this.

The small amounts of sunlight that cascaded through the thick forest leaves brought little to no warmth for the creatures of the forest. The only source of warmth was the slightly humid air, but even that didn’t help the four exhausted travelers. Although they were all exhausted, one of them was still stomping ahead with excitement and confidence, only occasionally yelling at the three others to hurry it up, always getting an answer of light disoriented mumbles and the occasional “calm down” from the eldest of the group.

“Tommy, stop stomping around like you own the place, we can’t keep up with you and you’ll eventually get lost” a tall brunette yelled at the slightly smaller blond.  
“Well if you all wouldn’t be so slow, I wouldn’t have to go ahead!” Tommy answered only to get a confused look from the brunette back, making Tommy scoff at him and continue.  
“I know I’m not the only one who wants to have good rest, and the faster we get home the better.”  
“Tommy, you should still calm down and not stomp around, you’ll disturb the forest creatures and make the guardian angry” the other blond of the group said calmly. His presence was clearly something of a caretaker, his words held no malice, but it still came off as a warning.  
“If the forest guardian wants to fight, then we can fight, I’m a big man I can take them on!” Tommy claimed and held up his fists as if he was preparing to fight someone, only to get slapped in the back of his head by the previously quiet pink haired man.  
“You wouldn’t even survive a second fighting a guardian, especially not with that stance” came a fairly deep monotone voice, and when Tommy looked up to the one who slapped him, he could see a sneer on his face.  
‘And whose fault is that’ came quietly from the boy as he rubbed the back of his head.

The four kept on traveling through the dense dark oak forest, Tommy every now and the scoffing and running ahead only to turn around and try to pick a fight with either the pink haired male or the brunette, usually getting a rise out of the brunette after bringing up his broken lute, that Tommy may or may not have broken.  
All of a sudden the pink haired male, who had been currently leading the group stopped abruptly and held out his hand signaling for the rest of them to stop. For a second they all stood there quietly until the older blond asked carefully

“What is it Techno?”  
He only got a quiet shush as an answer, and so they stood in silence once again, only to soon hear a small giggle from somewhere far ahead of them. The three others looked at each other, then back to Techno who slowly started walking towards the direction of the noise.  
Slowly but surely the group got to the edge of the dark oak forest, to find themselves in a clearing filled with tiny yellow and light red flowers, the sun shining clearly to the clearing, warming up the air and bringing contrast to the other side, where the dark forest loomed once again. As the four looked around, getting used to the sunlight that now shined more prominently, they noticed a small creature sitting on a small rock formation. This creature wasn’t alone, but instead had a fox curled up at its feet, looking up at the creature, there were also a couple of squirrels, one on the creature's lap, and one on its shoulder. The creature was currently very invested in a bee that had landed on it’s finger, adoring a big childish smile. The scene was like something out of a novel, beautiful, delicate and oddly comforting.

But just like everything peaceful, it never lasts, and this time Tommy was the reason for breaking the peace, all of a sudden sprinting to where the creature is, he was curious of this small thing he had never seen, as the creature came to view better, he could see the small ram horns that protruded from the creatures head and the goat like legs it had. The creatures light blue eyes, that seemed to hide a deeper secret came in contact with Tommy's darker blue eyes, and in a split second the huge smile that had adorned the creatures face faded into a shocked expression, its eyes showing a hint of fear in them. Tommy never had a chance to get too close to the creature as something vine like grabbed Tommy's ankle and threw him away, Tommy in the moment closed his eyes as he felt the ground harshly hit his back, hearing a yelp of his name and three pairs of footsteps running towards him.  
“Tommy are you okay?” Came the concerned voice, from the older blond.  
“Yeah, yeah just lost the air in my lungs Phil” Tommy said with a quiet breathless voice.  
“That was very stupid of you, you know that right” the brunette said as he looked from Tommy to the creature, only to mutter a quick ‘fuck’ under his breath, switching everyone's attention to the clearing.  
There next to the small creature was now a bigger, more strong looking creature, with big ram horns and the legs of a goat, dark brown hair and strong unkempt sideburns made it look slightly scruffy. The bigger creature currently had its back turned to the four and was towering over the smaller one, saying something they couldn’t comprehend and gesturing with its hands to ensure its point came across. Somehow to Phil the scene reminded him of a father scolding his child and he let a small chuckle escape his lips.

Soon after the bigger Ram creature faced the group, now looking a bit more hostile, but not showing any signs of aggression. The two parties had a small stare down until the creature spoke in a strong voice that felt like it echoed throughout the trees all around them,  
“Are you the ones disturbing my forest?”  
The group was taken back at first, were they really face to face to a forest guardian right now? The group all looked at each other, until Phil stepped slightly forward and spoke, as confident as he could without seeming rude,  
“We apologize if we have disturbed the forest, we weren’t aware of our traveling was causing a disturbance” The creature scoffed and stared at Phil displeased  
“And how do you not recognize that killing the habitants and cutting down the trees of the forest would not be disturbing it?”  
“We promise to you, we have not done any of that, we have only been passing through this forest for one day, and camping for one night, we have at no point cut down trees or killed animals” The brunette said, putting pressure on the ‘we’

The bigger creature started the brunette up and down, finding any type of tell that he was lying, only to sigh deeply and look at the smaller one, who was now hugging the fox from earlier and hiding behind the bigger creature.  
The smaller creature had occasionally glanced at the young blond, two or three times their eyes had met and the creature had hid itself more behind the guardian every time it did. He was curious, and wanted to know more about this thing in his vision, that looked like himself, but different all the same, but was afraid of the potential danger it could bring. 

“What was your intention when you approached him” the guardian stared down at the blond who was yet to rise up from the ground, and then gestured to the small blue eyed brunette ram behind him.  
“I just wanted to chat, I’ve never seen anything like it. I was curious!” Tommy bounced up from the ground and the slight offense in his voice was apparent.  
He didn’t see anything wrong about him approaching the young creature, so why was the guardian insinuating that it was? Before Tommy could say anything else the hand of the brunette placed itself on his shoulder and the brunette gave him a small shake of the head.

“We apologize for the intrusion on your forest, My name is Phil, and these three are my sons, Techno, Wilbur and Tommy, we mean no harm to the forest or the creatures that live in it” Phil said, gesturing each of the boys as their name left his mouth. The guardian was still staring down the group when he felt a small tug at his pinky finger. He looked down and saw the apologetic, yet curious blue eyes, and sighed once again. He nodded at the smaller creature, and then looked back at the group.

“I will allow you to continue your journey through the forest, but if you disturb my forest you will pay the consequences” The guardian said firmly, then turned away to walk off back to the thick foliage of the forest. The younger one looked at the group one by one, cocked his head slightly and then ran after the bigger one, still holding the fox friend he had.

The group decided they would set camp at the clearing, as it was already becoming quite late and the clearing was an upgrade from the spots before. They gathered some sticks from the ground as firewood and set up a small campfire near the rock formation where they saw the small creature hours before. As the day started to turn to night, and the air became colder from the lack of sunlight, the four huddled around the campfire and went through the events of the day, and plans for tomorrow, cracking up jokes and reminding each other of the embarrassing things each of them did and the situations they had gotten into during their travel. From a distance you could hear the group laugh and yell at each other about something silly now and then.  
Little did the group know that a pair of pale blue eyes watched and listened to their yells and laughter from the edge of the clearing, until the fire that once crackled strongly dimmed to just a few charred pieces, and the warm and loud atmosphere turned into that of a quiet and cold as the four drifted to a dreamless sleep.


	2. Home sweet home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family of four finally nears their village, and as the group goes back home, the tiny faun leaves his own.

As the sun climbed upwards and the first rays of it’s warm light reached the small flowery field, the four that the night before had settled in to the clearing slowly started arising from their slumber, some more unwillingly than others.

“Wilbur get up, you lazyass!” Tommy’s ardent voice could be heard throughout the clearing.  
The blond was currently trying to get his big brother awake, so that they could get going. Wilbur being the last of the group that needed to wake up, and to get ready for the journey back home, Phil and Techno had already woken up two hours ago due to their vigilant nature.  
With a few more kicks to Wilbur’s leg Tommy finally gave up, dramatically throwing his hands up and scoffing  
“I tried, it’s his fault if he gets left behind now” the blond said as he went through his backpack for something to waste time with until Wilbur was done with his beauty sleep. However before he had a chance to find something the brunette rose from the ground muttering what could only be deciphered as a string of curses. Phil walked up to Wilbur and handed him a leathery flask that held some water, and graciously Wilbur took it, earning a pat on the head and a warm smile from Phil.  
After Wilbur had properly woken up and packed up his things, the four with Phil in the front leading, followed the compass to get back to the village they called home.  
Having to leave the lit clearing, back to the murky and uninviting forest made Wilbur shiver a bit, as he had never been a fan of the shadows. 

The group traveled for a couple of hours until finally the forest seemed to thin out and the darkness was slowly being defeated by the rays of sun cascading above. Tommy being the most energetic ran straight ahead and out of the forest to be faced with a view of a village in the distance.  
“It has been ages since I last saw the place, It hasn’t changed one bit” Tommy jokingly wept with one of his hand on his heart and the other wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye, earning a chuckle from Phil and playful eye rolls from his brothers as they also appeared from the forest, slightly behind.  
“Remind me to not take you on our next adventure then” Phil’s said lightly as Techno quipped humorously,  
“Don’t worry next time we’ll leave your gremlin self to protect your cave of junk”  
“It is not junk! They are trinkets that bring me joy” Tommy turned around to face the three  
“Half of the things are small pieces of wood and rocks, and the rocks aren’t even pretty” Wilbur pointed at the blond who was already starting to fume.  
Phil knowing his sons quickly changed the subject by reminding them that they should probably stop standing around and get moving, since even though the village was visible, there still was a couple hours of traveling left.

As the group started descending down the small hill they had been on, conversation now picking up again between them, a small figure in the tree line seemed to go unnoticed.  
The small faun with his pale blue eyes hiding behind his fluffy brown locks gazed at the group, curious of where they were going. The small faun took a step towards the way the group had gone, only to take two steps backwards, unsure if he should follow them any further. He wanted to find out more about them, but with the warnings of the elder he wasn’t sure if he dared.

“Now Tubbo, you should never leave the forest, it is your home, and you need to take care of it, one day even protect it” the guardian had told him when the faun for the first time had tried leaving the forest.  
“Can’t I just see what is out there Schlatt? I promise to come back afterwards” The small faun tried to get the guardian to let him leave the forest, his eyes pleading the satyr in front of him. The satyr crouched down and put a arm on the fauns shoulder, looking into the bright eyes before speaking with warmth in his voice  
“No, it is far too dangerous for you to leave this place, especially as you are. The creatures outside the forest are vicious and will hurt you if they so please”  
“I understand,” the faun mumbled and gazed at the ground. He knew Schlatt cared for him and didn’t want to see him hurt, but it still made Tubbo sad.  
A small sigh came from the guardian and the faun looked back up at the satyr  
“How about this kid, you can traverse in the forest as much as you like? As long as you remember to be careful, doesn't that sound great?” The guardian tried to cheer the small faun up, trying to compromise. It seemed to help at least a little as the faun’s eyes lit up in excitement.  
“Can I talk to the creatures of the forests?” The faun asked, getting a slight nod and a smile from the satyr, who then proceeded to ruffle the fauns hair before he had the time to hop away to find creatures to talk to.

As the faun reminisced in the past, the group had walked on, nowhere in the nearby sight of the faun anymore. He realized that he had to make up his mind soon before he couldn’t catch up to the group anymore, not knowing where they were going. The faun took a deep breath and made up his mind, his goat-like legs stepping forward until he was out of the forest completely. He looked back to the forest one more time, and quietly muttered ‘I’ll be back soon’ and then started to descend the hill, following behind the group of four that were decently ahead of him now.

The sun had hidden itself behind the gray clouds, signifying the possibility of rain in the days to come. The group of four were nearing the village that housed their home, they only had to cross this old stony bridge that was decorated by dark green moss that went over a thin, murky river that went surprisingly deep for its width.  
The whole trip from when they left the dark oak forest, Techno had been on edge, feeling like he was being watched, and that feeling hadn’t left him yet. He looked around and from the corner of his eye thought he saw a small shadow hurry behind a bush, but he wasn’t sure if that was just him being hyper aware because of the feeling he had. He decided to keep it in the back of his mind, if something actually was there watching them.  
The group walked through the cobblestone path, that led to a small clearing with shops rounding a small water fountain, that some kids were currently playing in.

“I’m going to visit Niki’s bakery, should I bring back something for you guys?” Wilbur chirped, bringing an end to the comfortable silence the group had been having.  
“If you could bring a couple of loaves of bread that would be great, I was thinking of making some mushroom stew and the bread would be a good side” Phil answered and Wilbur nodded rushing off to the other direction of the group.  
‘Such a simp’ came a mutter from Tommy and Techno with a low chuckle agreed.  
The group of now three approached a fairly decent sized white brick house, with a reddish tile roof. The house was two stories high, the front door being on the second floor of the house. There were light gray brick stairs leading to the oak door. Some vines were growing from the sides of the house, contrasting nicely with the white background.  
As the three went in they were greeted with a gloomy inside, that could easily be saved with some light.  
Techno immediately headed to the lounge of the house that had a neat brown couch, its frame made of a lighter wood, bringing out the cushioning. Techno made his way to the fireplace that was the statement piece of the lounge, passing the couch and the small nightstand next to it, that had a small oil lamp and a book on top of it.  
As he got to the fireplace, he crouched down in front of it seeing that there wasn’t going to be enough firewood to start the fire, so he leaned a bit to his left to a wooden basket that sat next to the fireplace and grabbed a couple of pieces of firewood and threw it into the pit. He then proceeded to light the fire with a slightly worn out flint and steel. Since he had done this multiple times, it didn’t take him long until the fire was burning brightly lighting the lounge and bringing warmth to the whole house.  
Just to make sure that the fire wouldn’t burn out, Techno threw a couple of pieces of firewood to the fire. He then settled into the couch of the lounge, grabbing the book from the nightstand and starting to read said book.  
Meanwhile as Techno set the fire and settled into the couch, Phil and Tommy had gone to the small kitchen and dining area that connected to the lounge.  
Tommy had sat down at an oak table on one of the four seats it had, and was just fiddling with a small wooden puzzle that helped him pass time. Phil had gone straight for the kitchen cabinets, turning on oil lamps that hung down from the roof as he went, and was now bringing down pans and pots, getting ready to make the mushroom stew he had promised.

As Phil, Tommy and Techno settled into the peaceful rhythm of their home life, the small faun that had followed them all the way back to the village was now very lost, what in his eyes looked like a big and slightly threatening terrain that he wasn’t accustomed or ever seen before. As the faun walked around the village, looking around curiously yet carefully, occasionally having to hide from the creatures that passed, he could feel himself regretting his choice of following the group all the way. He thought he could tail the group until they settled into someplace, and then turn back and head home, but after following the group around, not paying much attention to the route he was walking, he now had no clue how to get back home, and as the day was getting darker, the little faun became more distraught, wandering around the cobblestone path trying to find any sort of landmark or thing he could recognize, to no luck.  
The faun decided that it would be smarter to just find a place to hide for the night and maybe try his luck in the morning. He walked next to one of the high buildings and to his luck found a wooden hatch, he proceeded to open it with a slight struggle, and then hopped down, the shadows swallowing the faun easily. After getting his eyes accustomed to the darkness the faun looked around, and found something soft on the floor, not knowing what it was, but deeming it comfortable, he laid down onto it and let his mind wander for a bit, until he finally fell asleep, dreaming of being back in the forest with his fox friend, basking in the warm rays of sun and enjoying the slight breeze that the wind brought with itself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, thank you for the nice comments in the last chapter :)  
> I wasn't at first sure if I was going to ever post the things I write, but I am glad I did.  
> As always helpful criticism is always welcomed!
> 
> I don't really have like a plan for when I post, so I'm just going to post after I have written a new chapter, that means that posting is going to be very irregular, my apologies for that.  
> Hope you enjoyed reading the second chapter and I wish you all the best!


	3. Lost and found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy once again stumbles upon the half goat creature they had met a day prior in the forest clearing.

“Tommy could you get some onions for me?” Phil turned to the youngest of his three sons, and without a word Tommy rose from his chair and headed to the stairs that lead downstairs, still trying to solve the wooden puzzle he had started on. Tommy walked down the slightly creaky stairs and when he got down he turned right and headed for the small door at the end of the hall, passing two others as he went. The hallway wasn’t long, and Tommy was at the door only a couple of seconds after descending the stairs, his long legs making the trip even faster. As he approached the door, he pocketed the puzzle he had been working on and opened the door to a darkened cellar. With the darkness looming all around him, he felt small anxiety creep up slowly up his spine, even if he knew he was safe, it still was something he couldn't get over. He turned on the oil lamp that hung from the cellar's stony ceiling, and as the light dimly started to light up the room, Tommy looked around for the bag of onions that usually were held in one of the wooden shelves that littered the cellar. As he was going around looking through the shelves, barely lifting his feet off the ground he tripped on something in the ground, falling to the ground only to save himself from faceplanting by using his hands.  
“What the fuck? That hurt like hell” He said quite loudly and tried to see what it was that tripped him, only to lay his eyes on a pair of hairy legs with hooves at the end. This shocked the boy and he was quick to get back up, ready to investigate.  
“I didn’t know we had a goat in here man” he muttered as he approached the legs. The light wasn’t strong enough but as he investigated it closer the creature wasn’t exactly a goat, like he originally thought it was.

All of a sudden the creature opened its eyes, and as it noticed the tall shadowy thing in front of him he moved his legs away with a small ‘aah’, and stared at the thing with visible fear in its eyes.  
“Hey chill, I’m not going to hurt you” Tommy said, and then looked around, taking note of the oil lamp that hung on a chain. He walked up to it, unhooked it from the chain and then walked back to where the creature still was hunched over, eyes scanning all of Tommy's movements.  
Tommy decided to crouch down holding the oil lamp in between the two, and as the creature came into the light he recognized it as the creature they met at the clearing only a day prior.  
“Hey you are that goat kid we saw!” He stated aloud, with an unnecessarily loud and excited voice, that made the creature flinch, but relaxed a bit knowing it was one of the people that he had followed.  
“What are you doing here, is the big scary goat man here as well?” he quickly added and looked around, slightly worried that he was going to get thrown again.  
“Wait, can you even talk? I mean the big goat man did, but are you not able to? What even are you?” Tommy questioned with an excited tone, barely giving the creature the time to answer.  
“I can talk” the creature said with a shiver in his voice, trying to seem like he wasn’t afraid of the loud creature in front of him.

“Tommy, what is taking you so long? I only asked you to bring me onions and you’ve been down here for five minutes already” The voice of Phil could be heard coming down the stairs into the cellar, and as Phil made it down he looked around only to see his blond son crouched on the floor, holding an oil lamp in front of him.

“Phil look it's the creature from the forest!” Tommy yelled at this father still looking at the half goat man.  
“What?” Phil huffed, shocked and walked to where Tommy was, and as he got closer he noticed the small creature hunched up on top of a bag of potatoes, looking from Tommy to him. Phil decided that crouching down was less threatening and offered the creature a gentle smile as he as well crouched down next to Tommy.  
“Hello, how did you get here little one?” Phil said gently, trying to not seem intimidating  
“I followed you, and then g-got lost” The creature said, his word getting stuck in his throat slightly. Tommy abruptly handed Phil the oil lamp, stood up and bolted up the stairs. This quick movement made the small creature flinch and tense up. Phil would have to scold Tommy about it later.  
“Alright, do you have a name?” Phil asked his voice comforting  
“Tubbo” the faun said, slightly more comfortable this time.  
“Okay Tubbo, you said you got lost correct?” Phil asked and Tubbo nodded slightly embarrassed.  
“I’m sure you’d like to go back home?” Phil asked, getting another nod.  
“Alright, well I can take you back to the edge of the forest tomorrow. For now it is too dark and dangerous to make the trip, would that be okay for you?” Phil looked at Tubbo, who for a little while just stared back, and then gave a quiet ‘yes’. This action made Phil smile slightly wider, since to his eyes, this small child trusted him, even if it was only a little bit.  
“Alright, I’m sure you are cold down here, take my hand and we can go upstairs and you can get yourself warmed up” Phil said, offering his hand to the creature. It took Tubbo a small amount of time to take Phil's hand, as his brain was still trying to analyze if he was dangerous or not, but as Tubbo took Phil's warm hand, and used it to help himself get up from the ground, it was like all of the thought of him being dangerous melted away.

The two walked up the creaky stairs out of the cellar, Phil having grabbed some onions before ascending to the lit hallway. When the pair got up the stairs, Tubbo with slight trouble, they were met with the short hallway, but one of the doors was open and you could hear rustling and slight muttering from the room beyond the open door.  
“Tommy what are you doing?” Phil asked as he and Tubbo walked past the door, stopping for an answer. They only got some more muttering and then saw Tommy just stare at the floor lost in thought, and after a couple of seconds he snapped visibly back and started looking and rummaging around again.  
Phil only sighed and tugged slightly at Tubbo's arm, to signify that they would keep going, and so they did. They once again faced a pair of stairs, this time slightly higher ones, that Tubbo seemed to really struggle with. Tubbo's legs weren’t able to rise from the ground enough by themselves to properly ascend the stairs, his anatomy just not allowing it.  
Tubbo looked up at Phil apologetically and Phil thought for a minute.  
“Hey kid, would you let me carry you on my back upstairs?” Phil asked and Tubbo just cocked his head not knowing what he meant. Phil came back the two steps he had already walked up, crouched down, back facing Tubbo and his arms ready to catch the child.  
“Just hop on my back, and put your hands on my shoulders for support, okay?” Phil said looking back to see any kind of uncomfortableness from the creature. It took Tubbo a while to comprehend what the blond was asking of him, hesitantly putting his hands on his shoulders and jumping up, thinking he was going to touch the ground again in a second, but he never did.  
Phil had successfully grabbed Tubbo's goat legs, although it was clear it wasn’t going to be the same as carrying another person, he could manage.  
“Alright, I’m going to stand up now and walk up the stairs. If you want down just tap my shoulder with your hand” Phil said as he slowly started rising up from the crouched position he was in. He hadn’t done this in a little while so his back, that wasn’t as forgiving as it used to be, cracked slightly. He walked carefully up the stairs, not wanting to freak out Tubbo, since this was most likely new to him. They got up the stairs and Phil crouched down again and let go of Tubbo's legs, letting him slide down back to the ground.

When Tubbo had his feet on solid ground he looked around the place he was in, taking in the warmth that came from somewhere. The light gray walls that were lined with some dark gray, almost black colored sticks with fire on the top, made it visible for the faun to see so many new objects that he had never seen. He was about to curiously start wandering around, wanting to learn everything he could about the things around him, when he heard from somewhere a small thud and then a booming voice yell,  
“I’m back! And I brought Niki!”  
Tubbo immediately looked up at the blond elder, whose name he didn’t know, or didn't remember anymore, only receiving a smile that conveyed that it was alright.  
Soon Phil started walking again, and with panic Tubbo grabbed the blonds hand and hid behind him, walking to an open space where two creatures were standing and one, the pink haired creature that Tubbo though he recognized, was sat on the couch talking to them. He could also hear thumping coming from where he had just come from, and soon enough the young blond that found him was behind him.  
“There you are!” He quickly shouted, making everyone turn to look at the blonde.  
“Tommy, take it easy, no need to shout” Phil said in a kind but stern voice.  
“Sorry big man, I just had something for the, umm- what was their name again?” Tommy said, slightly embarrassed that he didn’t know the creature's name.  
“Tubbo!” Tubbo chirped.  
“Who’s Tubbo?” came a more high pitched voice from the other side of the room.  
“Yeah who is Tubbo?” came again, now a monotone and compared to the earlier voice, deeper voice.  
“Ah, I guess it's better to introduce you to Tubbo”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am once again back with another chapter.  
> I am very invested in this book and every time I finish a chapter I just start writing the next one.  
> I said I would have irregular posting, but if this motivation level keeps up I'm just going to have daily posts.  
> Even if this was the case, don't get used to daily posts.  
> I might just suddenly loose the motivation I currently have, or maybe get stuck on how to continue the story, and that might make chapters more irregular, sorry.
> 
> I really like the concept of tommy having like concentration issues, and slight ADHD/ADD.  
> So as writer with ADHD, I took the liberty of adding some habits that I have onto Tommy's character.  
> Also every time I hear any of the mcyt make that small lower case yell, my brain just goes brrr.  
> It's so serotonin inducing in my opinion.
> 
> As always helpful critisism is welcomed, and hope you have a lovely day :)


	4. The introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo gets to know the group he was so curious about, and finds out they are actually quite nice.

“Ah, I guess it's better to introduce you to Tubbo,” Phil said, looking down at Tubbo to see if he was uncomfortable.  
“Tubbo is this little one here, they are the one we met in the clearing if you two remember. They had followed us and then got lost” Phil said, stepping to the side for everyone to see Tubbo more clearly. Tubbo only waved slightly and hid back behind. He was terrified of the creatures, there were so many and he wasn’t sure if they were going to hurt him. Tubbo thought that if he clinged onto the blond elder, they wouldn’t hurt him, so that is what he did.  
The first one to carefully approach the new creature was someone that Tubbo hadn’t seen before. It crouched down, with probably the kindest smile Tubbo had ever seen, softness apparent in it’s voice as it spoke  
“Hello Tubbo. My name is Niki, it is nice to meet you”  
Tubbo just looked at Niki. They were more delicate looking from the others in the room, their lighter blond hair reaching their shoulders. Tubbo had a hard time not trusting Niki, them just giving this comfortable and kind feel.  
“Hello Niki” Tubbo finally said, voice slightly shivering, and Niki looked ecstatic to have gotten an answer.

During this exchange the tall brunette had come behind Niki, and crouched down as well, looking Tubbo up and down, interested in what they actually were, but deciding not to bring it up out of courtesy.  
“Hey Tubbo, My name is Wilbur” He introduced himself, thinking it was only polite. Tubbo gave him a small wave, and somehow Wilbur was slightly disappointed he hadn’t gotten a verbal response, but he took what he got.  
“Techno, come introduce yourself, it’s rude not to,” Phil said, when he noticed his pink haired son hadn’t made an effort to move from the couch he was sitting on. The pink haired male stood up and walked to the group, like there was no care in the world, and when he got in front of Tubbo, he looked down at the kid hiding behind Phil  
“Name is Technoblade, but everyone calls me Techno for short. Nice to see you actually stopped hiding in the shadows” he said and gave a slight, split second smile, the kind you would give to a stranger when you make eye contact passing them.  
“What do you mean by that Techno?” Wilbur asked, looking puzzled.  
“I had this gut feeling when we left the forest, that someone was following us. I didn’t mention it as I wasn’t sure if it was just me being cautious. Clearly I was right, again” Techno answered giving a cocky smile after saying he was right, making Phil chuckle with a small ‘Ookay’ and Wilbur to roll his eyes.

As this conversation had been going on, Tommy had been standing behind them all, fiddling with the object in his hands, he wanted to join the conversation, but it was slightly impossible, so he decided to just wait for a chance to talk. He however was getting restless and so he tapped the short ram horned brunette slightly on his shoulder, making the brunette flinch and then look back.  
“Hey Tubbo, my name is Tommy. Here.” Tommy said shortly introducing himself and handing Tubbo the little rock he had been looking for after sprinting away suddenly. Tubbo looked at Tommy, then the rock, admiring it. It was a small blueish green rock with rough edges.  
“It’s apatite, you can have it” Tommy said quietly looking away from the rock, making Tubbo look up at the blond boy with a wide smile and shimmering eyes  
“Thank you!” he said, louder than anyone in the room had yet to hear him speak, it still wasn’t loud, but it was closer to a normal volume of speaking than before.  
Even though everyone had watched the exchange between the two, they still seemed slightly shocked by both of their behavior, and all of them got slight smiles seeing how happy Tubbo seemed about the rock.  
“Alright, well now that Tubbo has been introduced, I think I should start making dinner, Niki are you staying for longer?” Phil said as he was walking to the kitchen. Tubbo wasn’t sure if he was supposed to follow the blond elder, so he just looked at him, hoping he would answer the question automatically, but he never did.  
“Oh yes, if it isn’t too much trouble. I also brought some bread, since Wilbur said he needed to bring some back with him” Niki said getting up from the crouching position as did Wilbur. Techno had already gone back to the couch in the lounge and picked up his book.  
“Oh it’s never a trouble to have you here” Phil chuckled slightly before continuing,  
“Would you like to help? I was thinking of making mushroom stew?”  
Niki nodded and walked to the kitchen, bringing the bread she had brought with her.

“So Tubbo, what are you exactly?” Tommy asked, and got a small glare from Phil, signifying that what he asked was rude.  
“I mean like you aren’t like us” Tommy continued, using his hand to gesture at the people around them.  
“I don’t know. I mean I just know I’m different from you” Tubbo said, having a slightly hard time answering Tommy’s question.  
“What are you?” Tubbo asked Tommy after a small silence.  
“I am a man, a human, the greatest of them all!” Tommy said loudly with a confident stance, laughing afterwards, as Tubbo just pronounced the word ‘human’ to himself.  
“I’m sure Eret might have an answer to what Tubbo is! They have been interested in myths and legends for years, even researching about it” Wilbur mentioned now from his spot at the dining table. At some point he had walked to the table and sat down, watching and chatting with Phil and Niki.  
“Yeah, he probably could tell us, but I’m taking Tubbo back to the forest tomorrow morning, since he probably misses his home, and it’s too late to go ask him now” Phil said, stirring the stew, before Niki added the cooked mushrooms.  
“Dinner should be ready in five, could one of you get a couple of extra chairs, and one of you set the table for all of us” Phil continued and Wilbur got up to get more chairs.  
“Is Tubbo eating as well? can he eat?” Tommy asked, and looked at Tubbo who just shrugged and said,  
“I don’t think I have any difficulty eating, I mean I usually just eat berries from the forest, so I can’t say” Tommy just nodded and started setting the table, getting wooden bowls for six.  
The bowls were made of dark oak wood, it had small carvings of intricate lines and swirls on the sides. The spoons that Niki grabbed, as she decided to help set the table, were pretty plain, however one of them had a small ‘T’ carved into its handle. 

Tubbo just kind of awkwardly stood in the room looking around at things and what everyone was doing, occasionally asking what something was, clearly being out of his element at the moment. He wished he had his fox friend Fundy with him, since at least he could help appease his curiosity with his knowledge. Fundy was a smart fox, having traveled multiple times outside of the forest. Fundy used to tell Tubbo all about his adventures and how he would occasionally get into a scuffle with what Fundy had called raccoons.  
He missed Fundy, and his home. His mind flashed to Schlatt, the one who had taken care of him as long as he could remember. What was Schlatt doing? Was he running around the forest looking for Tubbo? He most likely was worried sick by now, right?  
He had multiple times warned Tubbo about the dangers that lurked outside the forest, and for sure Tubbo was going to get a scolding after he got back. Then Tubbo's mind went to a different, darker place and he himself started worrying. What if something happened to Schlatt while Tubbo was gone, what if he got hurt, or even worse? Who was going to protect the forest then? He wouldn’t be able to do it, not without Schlatt. What about the forest, his home? What if it got destroyed while Tubbo was gone, what if he lost his home, what then.

Tubbo was snapped from his thought by a hand on his shoulder, making him jump and make a small squeak.  
“You okay there squirt?” came the monotone voice of the pink haired man named Techno. He was looking down at Tubbo, his pink, decently long hair that was pulled to a very messy braid, strands of hair trying to escape. His face showed calmness, and if you looked closely at his dark, almost black, brown eyes, you could see a small look of worry in them.  
Techno had glanced up every now and then to observe the small creature, who looked definitely out of place just standing there. He was sure it was awkward for Tubbo, since he didn’t know anything about this world that was so common for the others. He suddenly saw the creature's face darken ever so slightly, and he could swear he noticed it’s eyes tear up. Whatever he was thinking about, it wasn’t anything good, so he decided that it would be better to cut him off before it got any worse. As he rose from the couch, looking into the kitchen to see that dinner was almost ready, he made his way to Tubbo, and gently placed his hand on his shoulder.  
“Food is almost ready, we should go sit at the table” Techno said and gestured with his head to the table where Tommy and Wilbur were now arguing about who knows what. Tubbo looked up at Techno and gave a small nod, walking behind the clearly taller male.

The dinner went well, and Tubbo was actually enjoying the food. At first he had been a bit hesitant, but after Phil kindly told him how to eat it and what it had in it, Tubbo grabbed the spoon and tasted the food. He didn’t get the hang of using a spoon, it was so odd for him, but he tried his best, analyzing how the others used it. Niki who sat next to Tubbo even helped to show how it was meant to be held and soon he was able to eat with the spoon. It was still slightly hard and occasionally Tubbo would turn the spoon too much, spilling the stew that it had in it back to the bowl.  
The group was chatting, occasionally asking Tubbo questions about his life, the forest and what he was interested in.  
To their surprise Tubbo was actually quite smart, and very talkative when he got comfortable. Tubbo loved talking about the stories Fundy had told him, and the way his eyes lit up when Tommy mentioned the bee he had seen sitting on Tubbo's finger when they were at the clearing, gave the group the impression that he really liked the bee.

After they all had eaten dinner, which was highly complimented by everyone, Wilbur set off with Niki taking her back to her house, since it wasn’t the safest time to be walking alone.  
Phil led Tubbo to the lounge, and said that he could rest for the night on the couch that Techno had previously been sitting on. Tubbo sat onto the couch, it's plush cushion welcoming Tubbo to a comfortable feeling. The slightly rough texture of the cloth made it seem like he was sitting on the ground of his favorite clearing, which made it homier. Phil came and brought Tubbo a blanket, it was odd to Tubbo and at first said he didn’t need it necessarily, but Phil convinced that it would be more comfortable if he took it, so Tubbo did. Phil wasn’t lying about it being more comfortable. The blanket gathered the warmth that would otherwise escape into the air, reminding Tubbo of a hug that could last an eternity if he so wanted.  
When Phil had made sure Tubbo was comfortable, he himself headed off to his own room to get some shut eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I'm back with another chapter!  
> I literally have like written up to chapter 6 already just because I got this spark of motivation all of a sudden at 3 am, but I'll probably re-write them, but it's there.  
> Anyways, I liked writing this chapter a lot, because honestly who doesn't love a nice wholesome chapter about non-toxic situations.
> 
> As always helpful criticism is appreciated, and hope you enjoyed reading this chapter.  
> Have a phenomenal day!


	5. The road home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil and Techno escort Tubbo home, only for Techno to have a bad feeling about the future.

The house felt still, as the silence consumed it, the slight snores from somewhere, were the only thing keeping the house from succumbing to complete tranquility.  
Tubbo had opened his eyes, at first slightly panicked as this was not his usual surroundings, but as soon as the fear came it left, Tubbo remembering where he was and what had occurred before the sleep had claimed him. Currently however, Tubbo was just laying on his back, staring at the ceiling above him. It had wooden beams connected itself to the other beams of wood, the roof and the walls, making sure that the roof wouldn’t fall and crush everyone unlucky who happened to be under it.  
The lounge was dimly lit, with the only light being the early sun rays that tried hard to make themselves known through the thick gray clouds, getting through every possible crack they could find.  
He wasn’t really thinking, just listening to the world around him do what it best could, living. It was something Tubbo often did, either out of boredom, or just when he wanted to clear his head. It brought him calmness, and the feeling of all his worries being nonexistent. With an inhale, and a strong exhale Tubbo rose up from his lying position, sitting up and lifting his arms up to stretch. 

He was going home today, he thought as he looked around the room. Somehow however a melancholy feeling creeped into Tubbo's bones when he thought he was going to leave this place behind. He wasn’t sure why, maybe it was the kindness and comfortable aura that surrounded him when Wilbur, Phil, Techno, Tommy and Niki had been joking and chatting around, asking him questions and Tubbo actually enjoying the conversation, or maybe it was how he had felt safe when he held Phil’s hand as they climbed up the first set of stairs after Tommy had found him from the cellar. Maybe it was the kind gestures from them all, that had made Tubbo feel so very welcomed. What if Tubbo just stayed here with them?  
Tubbo shook his head quickly dismissing the last thought. The forest, Schlatt and Fundy and all the other creatures that would surely miss him if he didn’t come back were waiting for him. He had a responsibility he had to do when Schlatt would eventually pass, he couldn’t just leave that hanging. He needed to go back.

The slight creak of the stair behind Tubbo snapped him out of his thoughts and he turned around to see Phil stepping into the lounge rubbing his eyes to get the last of the evidence of sleep away. Tubbo didn’t know what to do, did he greet him or would that be odd. He didn’t have the chance to do anything as Phil looked at Tubbo and gave him a kind smile,  
“Good morning Tubbo” he said as he walked to the kitchen, pulling down a pot and filling it with water, then putting it on the stove and turning it on.  
“Tea?” he asked, his voice still lightly muttering, Tubbo gently walked up to Phil, his little hooves making gentle clacking noises as he went, and looked at him for him to explain what it was.  
“Oh right, It’s like leaves that are soaked in boiling water, to give the water flavor” Phil explained grabbing two mugs.  
“I’ll make you a cup so you can taste and see if you like it” he said, giving Tubbo a fatherly smile and out of habit ruffled Tubbo's brown locks. Tubbo didn’t seem to mind and nodded sitting at the table waiting for Phil to be done with the tea he had mentioned. Soon enough Phil was walking to the table two cups in hand and one sitting on the kitchen counter. As Phil noticed Tubbo looking at the third cup, he chuckled,  
“That's for Techno, he usually wakes up around this time and we have ourselves a calming tea time until the two others wake up and bring chaos with them” And as if on cue another figure came up the stairs, this time it was Techno, his pink hair out of a braid, slightly messy and static.  
When Techno noticed Tubbo he made a little ‘heuh’ in question looking at Phil who only nodded towards the cup on the counter. Techno shook his head as he remembered who Tubbo was and grabbed the cup from the counter and joined the two, sipping it quietly.  
“So Tubbo, are you ready to head back home?” Phil asked kindly and Tubbo looked down at the cup, sniffing it before he took a sip of it, the hotness of the water burning his tongue slightly, and the bitterness of the water making him scrunch up his nose. This gained a small chuckle from Phil, and he rose up to go through the kitchen cabinets to come back with some honey and a small wooden spoon. He put some honey into Tubbo's tea and stirred it with the spoon, Tubbo cautiously looking at each movement.  
“Try it now” Phil said as he took the spoon away from the cup and placed it on the table next to the honey. As Tubbo took another sip, preparing for the bitterness that would be present, his eyes opened up a bit in shock. The bitterness was there, but it was quite pleasant now, with a small sweetness from whatever Phil added.  
“What is that?” Tubbo asked as he took another sip.  
“It’s honey, bees make it” Phil said and Tubbo put the cup down onto the table and looked at Phil star struck  
“Bees make it?” Tubbo asked to confirm what he had heard and Phil nodded with a smile. Tubbo kept looking at his tea, then the jar of honey, then taking a sip of the tea and smiling widely. It was a sweet sight, seeing the small child so excited.  
“So Tubbo, how old are you?” Techno asked after taking a sip of his own tea.  
“I think I’m close to 229 years,” Tubbo said, his gaze locked on the ceiling, his face showing that he was thinking.  
The unexpected statement made the two to choke on their tea, and to look at Tubbo shocked.  
“I see. Well Tubbo are you ready to go home?” Phil was the first one to get over the shocking information, with a cough he asked the earlier question again.  
Tubbo looked at Phil, then at the cup of tea he had that warmed his hands, slightly burning them.  
“I guess I am,” Tubbo said quietly, Techno and Phil giving each other a questioning look, and then Phil continued, treading carefully  
“You guess? Are you not sure?”  
“I mean, yeah I want to go back home, but you have all been so nice and I’ve been comfortable here, so I just feel kind of sad leaving. I miss my home and Fundy and Schlatt, but I really liked it here so I don’t know” Tubbo blabbered on, just letting his feelings out as the two looked at the poor boy sympathizing with him.  
“Hey Tubbo look at me real quick” Phil started as Tubbo’s gaze was glued to the tea cup. He slowly made eye contact with Phil, only to be met with a gentle smile,  
“You are always welcomed to visit, going back to your home doesn’t have to mean you have to say goodbye to us forever” Phil said with a caring voice, that only years of fatherly experience was able to shape. Techno just nodded silently, as he wasn’t the best talker. He usually would let Phil or his brothers talk in these types of situations. Tubbo gave a nod of understanding, before Phil ruffled his hair and rose from the seat.  
“Techno could you go find a cloak so we can get Tubbo out of the village without too many people asking questions?” He said as he placed his empty cup to the counter, Techno rising up as well and walking back downstairs cup in hand. Tubbo drank the last of his tea, then went back to the couch he had slept in, and from the nightstand next to it he grabbed the pretty blue rock Tommy had given him and held it tightly so that he wouldn’t drop it.

Techno soon came back up, now his hair being in a sleek ponytail, he himself already wearing a red cloak with fur lining on his shoulders and holding a light blue cloak, that he placed on the backrest of the couch for Tubbo to wear. Tubbo took the folded cloak and unfolded it to find the material very soft. This cloak also had a fur lining, but it wasn’t as thick as the one on Techno's. Tubbo wrapped it like a blanket, since that is what it looked like, getting a small sigh from Techno, who then crouched down and helped Tubbo put the cloak on properly.  
With a satisfied smile Techno rose back up, just in time to see Phil emerging from somewhere, all ready in his own dark green cloak, that had white fur lining it. Phil also wore a bucket hat that had dark green and white stripes. 

“Alright we should head out before the village starts making its morning commute” Phil said walking towards the door. Tubbo briskly catching up to Phil and grabbing at his cloak so he wouldn’t get lost again. Techno took his time trailing behind the two, looking around to make sure there were no lingering danger, Phil could handle himself if it came to fighting, but Techno didn’t want to take any chances. As they left the village and headed towards the hill that they had once came down from. Techno noticed dark clouds in the sky. The sky was already full of grey clouds, signifying rainfall soon, but the even darker clouds signified of something bigger. A pit formed in Techno's stomach, he wasn’t sure what was making it, but he knew to trust his gut, so he decided to catch up to the two who were in mid conversation.  
As the three got closer and closer, the pit in Techno's stomach grew, and he became a little restless. It was starting to eat itself up so he decided to tap on Phil's shoulder and point at the clouds. As he did so, Phil and Tubbo both looked up to the sky, Phil immediately giving Techno a wide eyed gaze, and immediately looking at Tubbo making sure he was okay.  
Tubbo’s pale blue eyes were wide open, mouth slightly ajar as he looked up to the sky now filled with dark smoky clouds. And then as if in instinct Tubbo started sprinting up towards the hill, Phil and Techno slightly behind the boy.  
As they ascended the hill, the dark grey clouds started to melt into a reddish light, and as soon as the group got close enough they were able to see the horrible, heartbreaking sight in front of them. The great dark oak forest that two day ago was alive and vibrant, was now only a huge bonfire set aflame, the green leaves turning into ash on the ground, and the trees turning into charcoal. The ground that once was a pale green with the occasional brown dirt, was now covered in the dark and light gray ash. The forest creatures nowhere in sight, not even the birds that Techno had found annoying to listen to were to be heard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter, pog!  
> I wanted to have like a very easy and soft chapter before the next one.  
> I somehow feel like my quality of writing has gone down all of a sudden, I don't actually know why though,  
> so to try and get it back I might take more time to write the chapters after 6, since that is already close to being done.
> 
> Also on random news, I had to go get tested for ms. rona, and it sucked.  
> My nose is sensitive as it is and jabbing a cotton stick in it just ain't nice.
> 
> As always helpful criticism is welcomed, and hope you all stay healthy!


	6. Pyrophobia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo risks his life by running into the burning forest in hopes of finding his guardian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so a little warning before the chapter. There is a bit of what I would call gore.  
> It isn't that detailed, but I still am going to leave a warning. There is a warning before and after the gore, so you can just skip it if you don't feel like reading it.

As Phil and Techno looked upon the horrible sight in front of them, Tubbo sprinted to the burning forest, in need of finding his guardian. He needed to see that Schlatt was alright, and tell him how he was okay. He had so much he wanted to say to him, he wanted to tell him about his adventure and about the nice humans he had met, and the things he had learned from them. He needed to tell him how much he needed him and how he missed him. He needed to tell Schlatt how afraid he was right now, and how much he wanted to just hug the elder for comfort. He had to find him, he hadn’t even said goodbye to him.  
The more Tubbo’s need to find Schlatt came apparent the more his vision started to blur out as the tears he had at some point started to shed, now started piling up. He ran as fast as he could through the forest, occasionally wiping the tears away with his clenched up fist. It still held the rock that Tommy had given him, and Tubbo was not going to let go of it now.  
He came to the big tree that Schlatt usually resided in, his movement coming to a full stop and his face falling to the sight in front of him.  
As the fire was consuming the forest all around Tubbo, warming the air into an unbearable heat, and the smoke that was rising, making it hard for anyone to breath, he stood there frozen, sight locked onto the form laying on the ground and the giant tree that he once called home, fully engulfed in the dark orange flames.

\---Gore starts---  
There on the ground Tubbo saw the guardian, already being swallowed by the fire. His skin was charred and bubbling from the fire, patches of exposed and darkened muscles and tendons littering Schlatt’s body.  
His head had been severed from his body, and it stood on a pole that was stuck in the ground like a horrid statement piece. The head's dead eyes staring down at the traumatized faun, dried up blood having escaped from it's mouth. The skin of the head had turned pale, Schlatt's eyebags even more apparent now than before. His once great ram horns, that he had used to protect Tubbo multiple times from angry boars and other creatures, were cut off from his head and taken away by whoever had done this.  
\---Gore ends---

Tubbo couldn’t do anything but stand, the awareness of his surroundings slipping rapidly. He wasn’t able to smell the horrid smell that came from the body of Schlatt, or feel the burning heat that was surrounding him. Just as he had earlier felt the world living, he now felt that the world had stopped, and frankly he didn’t want for it to continue, he didn’t want to be aware of it, but he had to and he knew that.  
A strangled yell of pure agony left his mouth without realizing, as he started feeling things again. He could feel the smoke that was filling his lungs, he could fill the warmth of the fire, he could smell the mixture of smoke, and the burning body, that made him gag when it hit his nose. The tears had never stopped flowing, and it had made Tubbo’s eyes sting.  
He felt a hand grab his shoulder and pull him into a chest, then be picked up, Tubbo out of instinct clutched into the fabric that he was pulled into. He then felt movement, and a small warm breeze, signifying that whoever was holding him was running. He couldn’t hear anything yet, his ears just ringing, his head starting to hurt. He tried to close his eyes, only to be greeted by the nightmarish sight from before, making him open them immediately. He coughed slightly and as he did his ears started to slowly stop ringing and he could now quietly hear the monotone voice, muttering something undecipherable. Tubbo heard the heavy footsteps and the crackling of the fire around him, and then he heard another voice, yelling from further away.

Phil was yelling for Techno, who had run to the forest after the two noticed Tubbo’s disappearance. He could only pray that Techno could find the small boy before they were swallowed by the flames. He stepped from side to side anxiety filling his chest, occasionally yelling for Techno hoping he would appear, and after what felt like years of waiting he noticed the silhouette of someone running out of the forest carrying someone.

“Techno!” Phil yelled and then ran towards Techno who was coughing slightly from the smoke he had inhaled. The man hugged the pink haired male like his life depended on it. Then he grabbed his shoulders and looked him up and down, noticing the small boy clutching onto Techno's shirt.  
“You found him” Phil sighed relieved.  
“I did, but where I found him wasn’t the prettiest sight” He said monotoned, like the scene he had seen when he found Tubbo had been a normal sight for him. Phil gave him a questioning look and Techno just shook his head.

The duo decided it would be better to bring the boy back with them, than to leave him here, so they started making their way back to the village when they heard a high pitched scream, that was definitely not human, and Phil felt a tug at his pant leg. He looked down to find a fox pulling on it and growling, he looked at Techno who was about to gently kick the creature to scare it away, when Tubbo's raspy voice came out with a cough.  
“Stop it Fundy that’s not nice” The fox immediately stopped and looked up to Tubbo, who looked exhausted at this point. His head hurt, and his eyes stung. He was mentally and physically exhausted and just wanted to close his eyes, but he couldn’t do that because of the fear of what he would see if he did.  
Before the two had any time to check on Tubbo's well being, he was squirming, trying to get down from Techno's arms. Techno lowered him to the ground, still holding onto him for support. As soon as Tubbo was standing on the ground, he opened his arms and the fox hopped into them.  
“I guess the fox is coming with us then” Phil said and tried to reach for one of Tubbo’s hands so he could lead him back to the village, only to get bit by the fox Tubbo was holding. Tubbo gave the fox a tired glare and reached out for Phil’s hand, muttering an apology. 

The group walked back to the village, and back to the house, occasionally having to stop because of Tubbo feeling dizzy, or having a coughing fit. Once they got to the house, they were greeted by a cheerful Wilbur, who when saw the group and the state where they were, dropped his cheerfulness and started worryingly asking questions about what happened. Phil said that they would explain it later, but for now Tubbo's comfort was the main priority. Wilbur just nodded and went downstairs. Phil led Tubbo to sit on the couch, waiting for him to sit down before he was standing up to get water for the boy. Tubbo's breath got caught in his lungs as he saw the fire in the fireplace, all of the memories of that scene coming back as he stared with an empty look straight to the fire. A quick ‘shit’ came from Phil as he noticed Tubbo's state, and extinguished the fire, snapping Tubbo out of the trance. Fundy nudged Tubbo's arm and Tubbo looked at Fundy, and slowly started petting him, not really thinking of anything, it was like Tubbo's body was in autopilot and he just sat in the back of his own mind fearing the nothingness, as well as the scene that had pushed him to that corner.  
The feeling of Fundy’s slightly coarse fur was comforting, and the plush cushioning where Tubbo had woken up from just a couple of hours ago were inviting his exhausted mind to wander into the abyss of dreamless sleep, and soon enough the exhaustion had won over the fear and Tubbo fell asleep, Fundy laid onto Tubbo's lap, keeping watch and hoping that it would bring him a layer of comfort and safety. Fundy wasn’t sure what to think about the strangers that brought them here, but he noticed how Tubbo hadn’t felt uncomfortable or even didn't even question the people. He would have to ask Tubbo about them later, but for now he was going to make sure Tubbo wasn’t going to get hurt by any of them while he was resting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, look at that, another chapter!  
> My apologies for the angst, but I had to add some spice into the story.  
> Fun fact, I wrote this chapters draft at like 4 AM, and shed a tear or two while writing.
> 
> Anyways, I got the test results and ms.rona hasn't chosen me to be one of theirs yet.
> 
> As always helpful criticism is always welcomed, and I hope you have a lavish day!


	7. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Tubbo sleeps, Phil, Wilbur and Tommy think about what they are going to do with Tubbo.

As the faun had fallen asleep on the couch, with the fox in lap, Phil, who had gone to get water for Tubbo, noticed the boy's eyes closed and breathing slightly ragged but even, and decided that waking the boy up wouldn’t be the smartest option. He placed the glass of water on the nightstand next to the couch and brought a blanket for him, the one Tubbo had used previously and tried to slowly and carefully put in on him, but the fox bared its teeth and growled as a warning.  
“I’m not going to hurt Tubbo, I just want him to be comfortable, okay?” Phil tried talking to the fox, but they did not let up, and so Phil backed up with a sigh. He went to the kitchen as Wilbur came from downstairs,  
“I told Tommy that he should stay downstairs or that if he comes up he has to be quiet. Where did Techno go?”  
“I asked him to get Eret, they are able to help Techno and Tubbo, since both of them inhaled a decent amount of smoke, Tubbo probably more than Techno” Phil said as he sat down at the dining table, preparing himself for the next question.  
“Smoke? What happened?” Wilbur asked, sitting down, and giving Phil time to answer.  
“We went to take Tubbo back to the forest, only to spot dark grey clouds in it’s direction. We ran to the tree line, only for the whole forest to be on fire, then Tubbo ran in, probably looking for the guardian of the forest, and Techno ran after him. Techno returned with Tubbo, but Tubbo looked so exhausted and sad, that the sight honestly broke my heart a little. I asked Techno what he had seen, but Techno didn’t answer” Phil told Wilbur as Wilbur gave a quiet ‘I see’.  
Wilbur glanced at the couch, where he could see Tubbo’s brown hair slightly peaking out, then at Phil who had his eyes closed and was facing towards the ceiling, just breathing to calm himself from the earlier anxiety and the worries he had.  
“So what are we going to do with Tubbo?” Wilbur asked, quietly but sincerely.  
“I don’t know yet. I want to help him and take care of him as much as I can, but frankly I don’t know anything about him or his species, and until I do, I can’t take care of him” Phil said running his hands through his blond locks with a sigh of frustration as he continued with a frustrated sigh,  
“But I can’t just leave the kid, he doesn’t deserve that”

“I think we should take him in” a new voice came from the room. Wilbur and Phil turned to look at Tommy who was standing at the end of the staircase listening to what the two were talking about.  
“How long have you been there?” Wilbur asked, and Tommy sat in one of the chairs, next to Phil.  
“I heard most of it” He said and looked at Phil.  
“I think he currently needs somewhere to stay. Screw not knowing what he is, I’m sure Eret can find that out and tell us, right?” Tommy continued, his face serious. It was rare to see Tommy not cracking a joke or yelling, but it just showed that the boy, however rambunctious he was, could also think and act mature.  
“It’s not that easy Tommy. I can’t take him in and raise him like a human. If we take him in, we are taking him from his own world and placing him in ours, which I’m sure is fairly different from his. And as he is not a human he needs to be hidden from others. Who knows what people would do if they found out about him” Phil said, his words laced with fear of what would happen to Tubbo, in a mere day Phil had started to think of Tubbo as his new son. He wasn’t sure what it was that had made him see Tubbo that way, but he for sure knew that the feeling was genuine.  
There was a silence between the three, no one knowing what to do or say. The silence lasted a few minutes, until the front door creaked slightly as it opened, revealing a ash covered Techno and a tall figure who towered slightly over Techno, but his presence held no malice.  
“You said you needed my help?” came a deep voice from the brown haired figure, that was now looking straight at the three gathered at the dining table, their face seeming to fade to a small frown as they saw the three. The atmosphere surrounding the house wasn't the usual bright and familiar, but a heavy and gloomy one.  
“Okay, this seems serious. What’s up?” the figure said and that seemed to cut the atmosphere a little.  
“Eret, we need you to check up Techno and Tubbo, they inhaled a lot of smoke while they were in the forest” Phil said and the brown haired figure, named Eret carefully said,  
“Alright I can do that, but who’s Tubbo?”  
“Right. I need you to probably sit down as I explain this, since it is a lot” Phil said and gestured for Eret to sit at the dining table next to Wilbur. Eret did so, and then looked at Phil, waiting for this explanation Eret was going to get.  
“So, Tubbo is currently on the couch over there resting after what happened earlier. Now we don’t exactly know what Tubbo is, but we know that he isn’t human. Identifying is something we would also ask from you, after checking and treating him. The first time we met Tubbo was while we were coming back from our latest journey. He was in a clearing at the nearby dark oak forest, and then we met the forest guardian who protected Tubbo. We continued on our way and got home, only to find out that Tubbo had followed us to the village out of curiosity and gotten lost. This morning me and Techno were taking Tubbo back to the oak forest, only to find out it was on fire. Tubbo had ran to the forest, and Techno had gone after him, and that is why we need you to make sure they aren’t going to die to the smoke they inhaled” Phil told what had happened in the last twenty four hours, Eret nodding along to show they were listening the whole time. 

It took Eret a moment to gather his thoughts. Phil and his sons had come across the forest guardian, that means it’s real? What was Tubbo? A mythical creature maybe? But those were only known in stories and books, if Tubbo is a real mythical creature, are there other mythical creatures as well?  
Their head was spinning with questions that needed to be answered, but one cough from Techno cut them short and he nodded to Phil.  
“Alright, I’ll check up on Techno first since he is awake”  
A sigh left Phil's lips as he looked at Eret who stood up and gestured for Techno to sit on the chair. Eret got immediately to work, putting their ear next to Techno's mouth to hear how his breathing sounded. It didn’t seem that bad, slightly raspy and that was it. Eret then took Techno's wrist and checked his pulse, which was steady as well. Eret then asked Techno questions like if he felt dizzy or nauseous, and to most questions Eret got a ‘no’.  
After about fifteen minutes of questions, Eret concluded that Techno would be fine after some tea and some rest, and with that Techno headed downstairs to wash himself and to probably take a rest. Wilbur said that he left to help Niki, but everyone knew Wilbur was just going to go talk Niki’s ear off and not actually help her. She didn’t seem to mind though, Niki thought Wilbur was a great company to have when business was slow.

Tommy and Phil had stayed and watched Eret work, and after Eret was done, they sat down on the table.  
“Do you mind if we have a little tea time before you do a check up on him? He has gone through a lot and needs some rest” Phil asked standing up and putting the stove and boiling some water.  
“I don’t mind, as long as I can ask questions about Tubbo? I’m quite curious” Eret said and Tommy sat up and walked to the couch, to check up on Tubbo. Phil just nodded and said,  
“We don’t know much about him either, but I’ll try to answer as many questions as I can”  
As Eret asked questions and Phil answered as much as he could, Tommy sat on the floor slightly away from the couch, as there was a snarling fox who didn’t let him any nearer.

Tommy looked at the pitiful state Tubbo was in. Tubbo’s clothing was covered in dirt and ash, and the cloak he was wearing had slight burns at the ends of it. Tubbo’s hair was messy, and his eyes were red and puffy from crying, a pained expression was stuck on his face as he occasionally would clench his left fist, that was holding something. Tommy tried to see what it was, but as he inched closer the fox on Tubbo’s lap bared his teeth and whipped his tail as a warning. Tommy scuffed and thought to himself for a minute before speaking,  
“You’re Fundy right? Tubbo mentioned you multiple times. You told Tubbo stories of your adventures” The fox stopped his threatening act and looked to Tubbo, only to glare back at Tommy and nod his head slightly.  
“You can understand what I’m saying” Tommy said, surprised, and the fox blew air out of his nose, sounding like a scoff of sorts.  
“Okay, so you understand me, great. So uhm, I don’t want to hurt him, no one in this house does okay?” Tommy said, not really sure what he was doing. The fox just looked at him, and soon enough the two were having a staring contest of sorts. It was interrupted as Eret and Phil approached the couch, the fox immediately switching his concentration on the two.  
As soon as Eret could fully see Tubbo, they gasped slightly. Eret had never seen something like it before. A small boy, with half of his body resembling a goat laid on the couch, in a position that would probably bite him in the back later in the form of neck and back pain. As Eret was looking at Tubbo, the fox on Tubbo’s lap was looking at Eret. Fundy didn’t know what it was, but something in the tall brown haired humans eyes seemed off.  
Fundy noticed that the funky human was trying to approach Tubbo, and Fundy was quick to stand up in a protective stance it’s ears pinned back and teeth showing growling. However this time the human didn’t back up, but stood still, only to reach out for Fundy. The human placed it’s hand on top of Fundy’s head and just muttered a ‘good job’, it wasn’t afraid of Fundy, and Fundy had to change that. He twisted his neck and body biting strongly onto the humans hand and the human groaned in pain, and pulled their hand away.  
This groan seemed to be loud enough for Tubbo to wake up as Fundy felt the boy stir. Fundy was quick to hop out of Tubbo’s lap and sit patiently until the faun was done stretching and rubbing his eyes. Tubbo looked around not recognizing his surroundings, and not even acknowledging the three humans that were staring straight at Tubbo expectantly.  
He laid his gaze on Fundy and asked the fox,  
“Where are we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! another chapter finally.  
> I'm sorry it took a bit since last weekend was on a farm where I had like absolutely no internet.  
> From now on the updates are going to be very sporadic, as I don't actually know how to get to the point where I want this story to go.
> 
> As always,  
> Hope you enjoyed the this chapter and hope you all stay well!


	8. Asking you some things!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questions I have for you readers, and a small plug.

Hey! I'm sorry this isn't a chapter, I am working on the next one, but I hit a small roadblock of sorts and am currently trying to figure it out.  
Also we are 60 hits away from a 1000, which is amazing! I want to thank you all for reading honestly, it means a lot!  
People have also left so many Kudos which I'm delighted to see, and I love and appreciate you all for doing so <3

For now I just want to get some feedback and like get to know what you, the reader like.  
You don't have to answer these questions but I would be glad if you did :)

1\. How did you find this book?  
There are so many great works that overshadow this so I'm curious.  
2\. Has there been many misspells?  
I have tried to check for them before I post every chapter, but English isn't actually my first language, so sometimes I might miss some.  
3\. Have you enjoyed reading Pullus quercetum?  
I really hope you have!  
4\. Who is your favorite SBI/DreamSMP "member"?  
I have always enjoyed Technoblade's content and recently Ranboo has become a slight comfort streamer for me.  
5\. What other youtubers or streamers do you watch?  
I watch people from the offline tv, like Michael Reeves and LilyPichu, as well as Sykkuno.  
6\. Do you play Minecraft yourself? Any other games you play?  
I love games, and honestly my plan is to create an Minecraft SMP that becomes a story that I can write. Like the server will be mostly unscripted improv, that I gather up and make into a book. I think that would be super cool.  
7\. Would you be interested in joining my discord server?  
I've created one for like people to vibe in and to have the ability to gather people to play different games with.

Here is the link for it, joining is not necessary but if you'd like to feel free to do so! https://discord.gg/znaG4fnR


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